Neighbor's cat killed chicken

[littleohioflock]

Hello all! I just started raising chickens in June and have really enjoyed reading all of the helpful information on this site. Just really needed to vent today since I watched the neighbor's cat snatch one of my chickens. My 6 chickens are now 6 weeks old and I just started letting them out in the yard to free range for about an hour in the evenings. My neighbor is a crazy cat lady who has multiple cats that just roam, mostly in my yard since she has a tiny lot and I have 2.5 acres.

It was just so horrifying - I was standing in the yard and the cat came up to the edge of the woods and just snatched my little lavender orpington. My kids were with me and the poor little chicken was cheeping for help. I know that predators are always a risk with free-ranging, but it just really sucks. These cats are not totally feral and she does feed them, so I thought the risk was minimal. Obviously, I was wrong. Going to keep the girls in their coop/run until they get a little bigger for their own safety. They really love going out into the yard, though and it's too bad that I can't do that own my own property because other people are not responsible for their pets. I think if it had been a wild animal, it would have been easier to take - "circle of life" and all that.

Anyway, thanks for listening.

 

[centrarchid]

Either allow chicks to get larger prior to free-ranging or deal with cat like you would a feral dog or offending wildlife taking into consideration possible reaction of neighbor if she knows.

 

[youngchooklover]

Either allow chicks to get larger prior to free-ranging or deal with cat like you would a feral dog or offending wildlife taking into consideration possible reaction of neighbor if she knows.

X2 You would have to keep them in a cage but if I were you I would kill it.

 

[littleohioflock]

Yes, I am going to set a trap for the cat and have a family member shoot it. I have talked to this neighbor in the past about her cats in my yard, but as I said, she is a crazy cat lady and nothing really changed. She has to know if you just let your cats roam, something is bound to happen to them. It's too bad, because it isn't really the cat's fault, but I can't take the chance of it taking another chicken.

 

[youngchooklover]

Yes, I am going to set a trap for the cat and have a family member shoot it. I have talked to this neighbor in the past about her cats in my yard, but as I said, she is a crazy cat lady and nothing really changed. She has to know if you just let your cats roam, something is bound to happen to them. It's too bad, because it isn't really the cat's fault, but I can't take the chance of it taking another chicken.

I would be the best thing to do.

 

[DanEP]

Don't let anybody tell you a cat can't take a full grown chicken. Over the years cats have been my #1 predator and have lost over 40 chickens to them. One was a 10 lb white rock rooster and his 8lb son at the same time.

 

[slingshotandLAR]

We have had issues in the past with cats.....

We have a zero tolerance policy now because we have had so many drop offs. We have a crazy cat lady about a 1/2 mile away who collects strays and people know it, I think currently she has 37.

I can't stand them on my property, they kill everything. Baby ducks, turkeys, partridge, pheasants, rabbits, squrriels ect. I've had them try and get my chickens also. I've seen on here people say cats don't kill chickens and that's completely false.

All my neighbors either live trap them or shoot them on sight. I'm not talking about pets, I'm talking about feral cats that live wild outside. We did keep one small kitten we found in the garage, she lives inside and makes a nice per for my inlaws.

 

[littleohioflock]

Thank you for the advice. I have seen many threads on these boards where people claim that cats don't kill chickens. I will never trust a cat around my chickens again.

 

[21hens-incharge]

I offer only my condolences. I am sorry you lost such a nice bird.

I don't trust cats either.

 

[CrazyTalk]

The cat is a problem, but dealing with it isn't going to make your birds much safer - they shouldn't be out free ranging at 6 weeks.They're still chicks.

It doesn't sound like you have any sort of fencing - if cats can snag your birds, so can foxes, birds of prey, and everything else. At this age, everything eats chickens.